Floor plate



Dee., m M9.' .1. E. JONES f 1,738,829

v FLOOR PLATE Filed oct. 6.' 1927 20 2216 U9 `2022J6 zz 79 Jl PatentedDee. 1o, 1929-- UNITED STATES JAMES E. JONES, F CHCAGO, ILLINGIS rLoonPLATE Application led 0ctober'6,.1927. Serialy No. 224,411.4.

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lface which is regular in form and on which 'V the projections arerelativelyb long and narrow, thereby engaging the soles of shoes as theypass over the plate, preventing slippage and at the same time affordinga rm, regular surface which is not uncomfortable particularly to thevvearers of thin soled shoes.

Y Another and further object of my invention is the provision of a floorplate having projections formed. thereon and integrally therewith insuch manner that the floor plate is easily cleaned and does not have aplurality ofinterrupted surfaces thereinwhich hold the dirt and refuse,and prevent its ready removal from the plate. 4

-Another and further'object of my invention is the provision of a floorplate which, 'be- 3@ cause of the arrangement of the projections on the'treadV surface thereof, is uniform in cross sectional strengththroughout any given area in its length,thereby enabling the plate toberolled to accurate dimensions Without the necessity of trimming the,edges and also providing a plate having maximum strength with aminimum' quantity of metal placed therein, thus resulting .both in thesaving of labor in the manufacture of the plateand the io saving ofmaterial.

Another and further object of my invention is a floor plate having aseries of projections thereon which are uniform in size andcross-sectional area, and uniformly spaced With-relation with eachother, and so arranged that there is no weakening of the plate bythedisplacement of metal to form' the projections, vand each projection isso formed during operation of the plate that there is 'a minimum Theseand other objects of the last pass in the rolling displacement of themetal to form the projections. a

my invention Will be more fully and Vbetter understood by reference tothe accompanyingsheet of draw- 55 K ings and in which Figure 1 is afragmentary elevational view of the tread surface of my improved plate;Figure 2-is a side elevational vievv ,of the plate shown in Figure l;and j Figure 3 is an end elevational -vievv of the plate illustrated inFigure l. l

Referring now specifically to the drawings, a floor plate is shownhaving a flat under surface 10 and having an upper surface 11 65 uponwhich is formed a plurality of projections designated as a Whole as 12,12, these projections being arranged in rows longitudinally of the plateand also transversely of the plate, With the projections in each row ar-7o ranged in staggered relationvvvith the projections in each adjacentroW, each of these projections l2 being uniform in dimension and incross-sectional area. Each of the projections is frusto-conical in crosssection and in theform as shown, is approximately one- `tenth of an inchin height and has a base portion 13 which is approximately of an inch inWidth, and sloping side portions 14 and 15 respectively, With a flatupper tread sur- 80 face 16 which isapproximately 2; of an inch inWidth, thereby presenting at the juncture of the surfaces 14 and 16 anedge 17 With a similar edge 18 being provided at the op- -pos'ite sideof the projection V12 at the junce5 ture of the surfaces 15 and 16,these edges 17 and 18'forming the sole engaging portions of theprojections and which prevent slippage of the foot as the shoe isbrought into contact with the tread surfaceof the plate as the plate isWalked upon in a transverse direction. The projections 12 have theirlongitudinal axes parallel with the longitudinal axis of the plate, andin dimension from the center ofone projection to the center of theAadjacent projection in a longitudinal direction is approximately 2%inches. Each of the projections have sloping end surfaces 19 and 20 withedges 21 and 22'being formed atfthe-junction of the surfaces 19 and 16and 100 20 and 16 respectively, thereby forming edges adapted to engagethe shoe of the wearer when Walking in a direction longitudinally of theplate. f

It will be noted that the edges 21 and 22 respectively. are insubstantial alignment with each other, there being a very slight overlapof these edges in the projections to slightly compensate for the smallquantity of metal which is moved out of the body of the plate to fornieach of the projections'.- A transverse line of fracture'in the platewould run in a zig-zag direction around the ends of the ribs because theplate is stronger through the ribs than through the body of the plate.It will also be noted that there are no diagonally extending regularlyformedv channels in the plate whereby there may be formed in the plate aline of fracture extending in these dirctions thereby weakening thepla-te and rendering it liable to crack along these lines in service.

The projections measure from the base in a I longitudinal direction orlapproximately 15/8 inches in length and from the center line of one rowof projections in a longitudinal direction to the center line of theprojections on each side, approximately 3% ,of an inch, the projectionsbeing so arranged that the tread surface forms a smooth supportingsurface for the shoe as it is brought in contact with .the surface andyet affords sufficient friction between the edges of the variousprojections on the tread surface of the plate and the shoe to preventslipping of the shoe on the tread surface of the plate.

It will be noted from the foregoing description that the arrangement ofthe projections upon the tread surface by reason of their staggeredrelation with each other and the slight overlapping of the projectionsat their ends, affords a plate which is uniform in strength alongcross-sectional lines and therefore the plate may be rolled to veryexacting dimensions witliout the additional trimming operations usuallyemployed to bring plates of this character to proper size.

While I have described more or less pre; cisely the details ofconstruction7 I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto,as I contemplate changes in form and of Sept., 1927.

. JAMES E. JONES.

the proportion of parts and the substitution of equivalents ascircumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from thespirit or scope of my invention.

"I claim: i A floor vplate comprising a. rolled metal section having aHat under surface and an upper tread surface having a, plurality of rowsof elongated rectan arat topped projections thereon, the sai projectionsbeing 1n staggered relation in adjacent rows and having slopin sidesmaking angles with the flat tops and orming non-slip ing edges attheline of juncture between sal sloping sides

